Reaction To Cloned Animal Announcement

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said, "Milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring will enter the food supply. They can do so immediately. The products will not be labeled as such and American consumers will have no way to avoid consuming them."

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The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said, "Milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring will enter the food supply. They can do so immediately. The products will not be labeled as such and American consumers will have no way to avoid consuming them." CFA also said USDA has no ability to penalize anyone who ignores the "voluntary" moratorium on a product the FDA as cleared as safe and "USDA does not have commitments from cloning companies not to sell their animals for food."

Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union (NFU) said, "The economic implications of introducing products from cloned animals into the marketplace could be potentially devastating for family farmers and consumers. NFU believes consumers have the right to know if the food they feed their families comes from cloned animals."

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) applauded the decision and said, "Cloning technology will give farmers and ranchers an additional production option. It has gone through the appropriate regulatory review process and has been found to be safe; therefore, farmers should have the option of using it. The technology will improve breeding stock and, eventually, the quality, safety and healthfulness of our food. Animal cloning offers great benefits for consumers and farmers."

The National Milk Producers Federation in a statement said, "While we are reassured that FDA's review finds no health or safety issues with food from cloned animals, we strongly support the request made to continue the moratorium on the marketing of cloned animals and their products during a transition period allowing for the examination of the potential economic implications of a change in the marketing environment."